Air cleaner for automobiles



United States Patent O ice 7 2,952,327 AIR CLEANER FOR AUTOMOBILES Warren H. Farr, Grosse Pointe, Mich., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Precasco Corporation, Atlanta, Ga., a corporation of Delaware Filed May 11, 1953, Ser. No. 354,234

11 Claims. (Cl. 180-69) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in air cleaners for internal-combustion engines of automotive vehicles. I

At the present time the air cleaner in practically all automobiles is mounted on, attached directly to and supported entirely by the carburetor, and this arrangement has several distinct disadvantages due in part to the fact that the engine is supported by rubber mounting blocks which permit it to vibrate or shake considerably in operation. As a result of the shaking motion imparted to the engine and its adjuncts, the cleaner which extends substantially above the carburetor exerts considerable stress on the connecting or mounting parts. The carburetor has been especially constructed and reinforced to withstand the continual ,stress and strain to which it is subjected in use.

Another factor is the amount of valuable space occupied by current air cleaners which are relatively large and bulky and, in many instances, are of necessity located in proximity to the generator. Hydraulic steering systems are becoming increasingly popular and these systems require a pump that can most conveniently be driven by the generator. However, in many car models the present location of the air cleaner absolutely prevents the use of the generator for this purpose. Thus, the air cleaner interferes with and in some instances prevents the use of the most efiicient arrangement for hydraulic steering systems.

Still another disadvantage of current types of air cleaners is that they are so related to the carburetor itself that they interfere with and even prevent servicing of the carburetor. In some instances, the carburetor can only be serviced conveniently if the air cleaner is removed. Manifestly, this materially increases the work involved in servicing the carburetor and adds materially to servicing costs.

An important object of the present invention is to pro vide a novel air-cleaner construction and arrangement which obviates all of the disadvantagm recited specifically above.

Another object of the invention is to provide an air cleaner that is mounted on and attached to the hood of the vehicle and which is uniquely correlated with the carburetor so that it is connected automatically thereto when the hood is lowered and is entirely disengaged automatically therefrom when the hood is raised.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an air cleaner that is supported entirely from the hood so as to relieve the carburetor from stresses and strains to which it normally is subjected and thus permits the use of lighter and simpler constructions for carburetors with attendant saving in costs and materials.

.Yet another object of the invention is to provide an air cleaner of the above-mentioned character that is positioned unobstructively under the hood of the vehicle so as not to interfere with the use of a pump on the rearward end of the generator as expedient in certain power steering systems.

, 2,952,327. Patented Sept. 13, 1960 A further object of the invention is to provide an air cleaner of the above-mentioned character that is so removed from the carburetor when the hood is raised as not to interfere with servicing or adjustment of the carburetor.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an air cleaner that, by reason of its presence on the undersurface of the hood, permits special reinforcements heretofore required for the hood to be eliminated or greatly reduced and which assists in preventing buckling or oil canning of the hood under pressure of air generated when the vehicle is in motion.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during-the course of the following description.

-In the drawing forming a part of this specification and wherein like numeralsare employed to designate like parts throughout the same:

Fig. 1 is av fragmentary longitudinal sectional view through the front end of an automotive vehicle showing an air-cleaner embodying the invention attached to the hood and in operative association with the carburetor thereof, and r Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

In the drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration isshown a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 10designates an automotive vehicle having a motor 12 including a carburetor 14 provided with the usual air inlet 16. Atmospheric air is supplied to the carburetor which mixes it with gasoline to produce a combustible mixture suitable forinjection into the combustion chambers of the power cylinders (not shown).

It is necessary to filter the air before it is delivered to the carburetor and various types of filters or cleaners, have been devised, for this purpose. As suggested above, the

. present invention relates to a novel construction and body of the vehicle in the conventional manner and normally covers the motor 12. Most of the space occupied by the mat 18 normally does not serve any useful purpose; and when the conventional air cleaner, which usually occupies a position relatively high under the hood, is removed, there is a large unobstructed area under substantially the entire hood. It is contemplated that the mat 18 occupy as much of the space under the hood as is expedient under the circumstances, and in any event it is desirable to make the mat relatively large so as to assure substantial air capacity and to distribute the cleaning action over a relatively large area whereby to extend as much as possible the time the cleaner can be used before it becomes clogged with dirt particles entrained in the air entering the filter. Of course it is contemplated that the mat be removable from. the hood for cleaning whenever this becomes necessary or desirable. The shape of the mat 18 of course must conform to the undersurface of the hood and thus the form of the individual mats may vary somewhat depending upon the shape and form of the hood on which ,it is to be mounted as well as upon the size and shape determined to be most suitable. for the particular situation. In any event, the undersurface 22-of the mat 18 preferably is flat, and the mat is disposed on the hood 20 so that the undersurface 22 extends in a generally horizontal plane when the hood 20 is closed. The upper surface 24 of the mat 18 is dished, as illustrated in the drawing, to provide a wide shallow air-collecting chamber 26 between the mat and the hood 20.

Considered broadly, it is contemplated that any suitable means be employed for fastening the mat 18 to the hood. However, in a more limited sense, special advantages are achieved if the mat 18 is fastened to the hood 20 by a surrounding collar 28 which is attached by suitable means to the mat and forms an imperforate wall surrounding and closing off the edge or peripheral area of the mat. This particular construction is illustrated in the drawing and it will be observed that the collar 28 is provided with an outwardly turned flange having openings therein which receive studs 30 projecting downwardly from the hood 20. Nuts 32 on the studs hold the collar 28 and the mat 18 attached securely to the studs. The collar 28 may be of any suitable material but it is contemplated that an inexpensive plastic of suitable laminated construction be employed for this purpose. Such plastic materials are available on the market and they provide adequate strength at relatively low cost. Any suitable means may be provided for attaching the mat 18 to the collar but in most instances an adhesive will best serve this purpose. Also, if desired the collar 28 may be downwardly tapered so as to support the mat at its periphery. In some instances, it may be necessary to provide suitable internal reinforcements within the mat 18 in order to hold it flat and relatively rigid. The reinforcements may vary considerably and may assume any conventional form which is expedient under the circumstances. In some instances it may be desirable to simply impregnate the mat 18 with a suitable resin which coats the individual fibers of the mat with a resin film but does not close the openings between the individual fibers. The resin film, when hardened, provides a relatively rigid, springy, and resilient mat which retains its shape under the conditions of use here contemplated. Alternatively, it may be desirable to employ reinforcing rods or wires which extend across the collar 28 and through the mat material. In this connection, however, it will be readily appreciated that if the cleaner is made relatively small it may not be necessary to use any reinforcement whatsoever, and this is particularly true if the collar 28 is tapered so that it, in itself, affords substantial support for the mat. No reinforcement is shown in the drawing, but it is obvious from the foregoing that it will require only mechanical skill to provide in any particular instance whatever reinforcement is required. It should perhaps be pointed out at this time that the above construction leaves the entire undersurface of the mat 18 exposed while the peripheral surface is closed so that air will have to pass upwardly into the mat through the undersurface thereof.

As shown in the drawing, the mat 18 overlies the carburetor 14, and the mat is provided directly over the air inlet 16 of the carburetor with an opening 34 which extends downwardly from the chamber 26 through the bottom of the mat and provides a downward passage for air in the chamber. The opening 34 is lined with a collar 36 which prevents air entering the mat through the bottom thereof from by-passing the chamber 26. Preferably the opening 34 is flared upwardly as shown in the drawing and the collar 36 is correspondingly shaped. By reason of this arrangement the collar 36 engages the mat over a substantial area of the mat material, and the latter thus affords substantial support for the collar. As will be hereinafter apparent, the collar 36 must of necessity support some weight, and if the mat 18 is properly reinforced it is suflicient if the collar is merely secured directly to the mat by suitable adhesive or the like. However, if, on the other hand, the mat 18 is not reinforced and particularly if the mat is relatively large in area in relation to its thickness, it may be necessary or desirable to provide some means for connecting the inner collar 36 to the outer collar 28 or to the hood 20. The drawing shows the collar 36 connected to the hood by interfitting brackets 38 and 39. These brackets carry the weight of the collar and its adjuncts and hold the central portion of the mat 18 positioned properly under the hood. It will be readily apparent, however, that the brackets 38 and 39 perform this function without in any way interfering with the flow of air in the chamber 26 toward and into the opening 34. The collar 36 may be made of any suitable material; however, it preferably is made of a plastic sheet material which is adequately strong and essentially inexpensive.

In the drawing the collar 36 is shown extending below the mat 18 and the depending extension carries a downwardly hanging, vertically compressible and resilient conduit 40. The conduit here shown is of a conventional, well-known construction. Conduits of this type are conventionally made from a resin-impregnated cloth and the wall of the conduit is accordion pleated as shown to permit longitudinal expansion and contraction of the conduit. These conduits are available in different forms and, as suggested, it is desirable to use a conduit which is essentially resilient so as to resist longitudinal com pression thereof. On the lower end-of the conduit 40 is an annular ring 42 having a downwardly extending and flared flange or skirt 44.

When the hood 20 is raised, the entire filter assembly, including the conduit 40 and ring '44, is entirely. disengaged and spaced substantially from the carburetor 14. However, when the hood is lowered, the ring 42 seats downwardly on the carburetor around the air inlet 16. It will be readily appreciated that conduits of the type here under consideration are relatively stiff so as to hold the lower end thereof approximately in position to register with the inlet of the carburetor and that the flared skirt '44 assists the conduit to locate on and center with the air inlet. Thus any minor variations in the positioning of the conduit 40 will be corrected and compensated automatically by the flared skirt 44 on the ring 42. It is desirable that the ring 42 seat on the carburetor substantially before the hood 20 is fully lowered so that the conduit will be compressed axially a substantial amount as the hood is brought to the final closed position. By compressing the inherently resilient conduit 40 in this manner it exerts a continuous downward pressure which holds the ring 42 securely against the carburetor at .all times when the hood is lowered. If necessary or desirable, a suitable sealing gasket 46 of rubber or the like may be applied either to the ring 42 or to the carburetor 14 around the air inlet 16 in order to seal the joint therebetween and to eliminate any possibility of noise or chatter between the parts when the motor 12 is in operation.

When the hood is closed to interconnect the conduit 40 and the air inlet of the carburetor 14, and the motor 12 is in operation, suction from the carburetor causes air to be drawn upwardly through the filter mat 18 and into the chamber 26; thence the air flows downwardly through opening 34 and conduit 40 into the air inlet 16 where it is blended with the gasoline in the carburetor according to conventional practice. As the air is drawn upwardly through the mat 18 solid particles and other impurities entrained therein are removed by the mat. If desired the mat 18 may be formed in successive layers which vary from coarse to fine from the bottom to the top thereof, so that relatively larger particles are collected in the coarse underlayer of the mat and liner particles are progressively removed as the air travels upwardly through the mat. This arrangement assists in preventing the mat from becoming clogged with the particles and lengthens the effective life of the cleaner before cleaning or replacement of the mat is required.

It is a feature of the invention that particles entrained in the air are retained on or near the flat undersurface of the filter mat 18. Particles removed in this manner from the upwardly moving air stream may be retained on the mat by pressure of the air against the undersurface of the mat as long as the motor 12 is in accessible.

'5 operation. However, as soon as the motor 12 is stopped, pressure of air against the mat 18 ceases and some of the particles fall by gravity away from the mat, thus cleansing the latter of at least a portion of the contaminating particles. In this manner, the air cleaner is to a certain extent self-cleaning, and this factor alone substantially increases the effectiveness of the cleaner.

When the hood 20 is raised to disengage the flexible conduit 40 from the carburetor 14, the cleaner is entirely removed from the motor12 rendering the latter more readily accessible for servicing. This is particularly true in the case of the carburetor 14 which in many instances is diificult to adjust because of the presence of the large overhanging air cleaner conventionally employed.

By reason of the fact that the air cleaner is carried by the hood 20, the carburetor 14 can be made relatively lighter and consequently less expensively than heretofore. It is not necessary for the carburetor casing to be especially reinforced as required heretofore in order to sustain the swaying overhead air cleaner normally supported thereby.

By mounting the air cleaner directly on the hood in the manner shown, it has the desirable effect of strengthening and reinforcing the hood so as to eliminate expense attending certain reinforcing structure now sometimes provided for the hood. By reason of the extensive area of the cleaner with respect to the hood, the cleaner dampens oil can effect of the hood. Conventional hoods are sometimes provided with sounddeadening pads to prevent or at least reduce noise due to buckling or fiexure of the hood and these pads can be eliminated by the instant construction.

It is another feature of the invention that the air cleaner mounted in the manner here shown and described occupies space which has been heretofore more or less wasted and makes available for other purposes space now occupied by conventional air cleaners. A typical example of the utility thus achieved is presented by powersteering apparatus now coming into general use. As suggested, power-steering apparatus includes a pump, and this pump conveniently can be mounted directly on the generator and driven thereby. However, in many automotive vehicles the conventional air cleaner interferes with placement of the pump in this manner and eliminates any possibility of adapting the pump to the generator. This situation is admirably taken care of by the instant arrangement which removes the air cleaner entirely from the carburetor and makes available space previously occupied by it for the hydraulic steering pump.

It will be readily appreciated that the air cleaner, when mounted according to the present invention, is readily removable for cleaning or replacement of parts. When the hood is raised, the air cleaner is exposed and the devices which fasten it to the hood are readily The entire air cleaner assembly can then be removed from the hood for cleaning or servicing.

Another advantage of the instant construction is that an essentially large air cleaner can be provided for a minimum of cost. As pointed out above it is desirable that the cleaner be essentially large in order that it function with maximum efliciency and in order that clogging of the filter be reduced to a minimum, thus extending the effective life of the filter as much as possible. In the instant situation, it is feasible 'to make the air filter essentially large since considerable space is available under the hood. Furthermore, a large filter can be provided at a minimum cost, as the hood furnishes the top closure and it is necessary merely to provide the relatively thin surrounding collar 28 and the filter element itself. As

a consequence the air cleaner manufacturer need only make the filter mat 18 and the relatively small and inexpensive adjuncts that must be provided with the mat order to complete the assembly.

6 'Having thusdescribed the invention,'I claim:

1. In an automotive vehicle of the type including an internal-combustion engine having a carburetor provided with an air inlet and a raisable alligator hood pivoted on a horizontal transverse axis at one end thereof normally covering said engine,'the improvement comprising a relatively large, essentially thin air filter on and covering a substantial area of the undersurface of said hood, said filter having a housing securely and permanently attached to said hood, said housing defining a cleaning chamber and said hood forming a part of the closure of said cleaning chamber, said filter also having an air inlet and an air outlet, a flexible, resilient conduit having one endfixedly connected to the air outlet of said filter above the air inlet of said carburetor, said conduit depending from said filter with the other end thereof disposed to register with and detachably seat against the carburetor at the air inlet when the hood is closed, said last-mentioned endbeing normally held against the carburetor by the resiliency of the conduit, said filter being movable bodily with the hood and adapted to be lifted relative to the engine when the hood is raised and said conduit being movable with the filter and adapted to release and disengage the carburetor when the hood is raised.

2. In an automotive vehicle of the type including an internal-combustion engine having a carburetor provided with an air inlet and a raisable hood normally covering said engine, the improvement comprising an air filter fastened to the undersurface of said hood having an air inlet and a depending flexible and resilient extension defining an air outlet, said extension having a formed seat around said outlet and said seat having a downwardly flared peripheral skirt adapted to engage the carburetor around said air inlet when the hood is lowered to closed position and to guide the air outlet of said extension into register with the air inlet of the carburetor, inherent resiliency of the extension holding said seat securely against the carburetor at all times when the hood is closed but permitting said extension to disengage said carburetor automatically when the hood is raised, whereby to separate the filter entirely from the carburetor.

3. In an automotive vehicle of the type including an internal-combustion engine having a carburetor provided with an air inlet and a raisable hood normally covering said engine, the improvement comprising an air cleaner on and fastened to the undersurface of the hood, said cleaner having a bottom opening defining an air inlet and a chamber for accumulating air entering through said inlet, an air filtering member interposed between the inlet and said chamber for removing impurities from the incoming air before the same enters the chamber, the undersurface of said member being exposed at the air inlet of the cleaner so that incoming air is required to move upwardly therethrough whereby solid particles in the incoming air are stopped by the undersurface of the member and will fall away from the filter member by gravity when the inrush of air is stopped, a conduit extending downwardly from said chamber positioned to seat against the carburetor at the air inlet when the hood is closed and providing a passage through which air passes from the chamber into the carburetor, and means holding said conduit normally onthe carburetor when the hood is closed, said conduit being automatically disengageable from the carburetor when the hood is raised.

4. In an automotive vehicle of the type including an internal-combustion engine having a carburetor provided with an air inlet and a raisable hood normally covering said engine, the improvement comprising an air cleaner on and fastened to the undersurface of the hood, said cleaner having a bottom opening defining an air inlet and a chamber for collecting air entering through said inlet, an air filtering member interposed between the inlet and said chamber for removing impurities from the incoming air before the same enters the chamber, the undersurface of said member being exposed at the air inlet of the cleaner so that incoming air is required to move upwardly therethrough whereby solid particles in the incoming air are stopped by the undersurface of the member and will fall away from the filter member by gravity when the inrush of air is stopped, a conduit extending downwardly from said chamber positioned to seat against the carburetor at the air inlet when the hood is closed and providing a passage through which air passes from the chamber into the carburetor, said conduit being essentially stiff so as to hold the lower end thereof positioned to register with the air inlet of the carburetor when the hood is closed and also being resilient to hold the lower end thereof in pressed engagement with the carburetor at all times when the hood is closed, said conduit being liftable with the cleaner when the hood is raised to disengage the carburetor whereby the air cleaner and its adjunct are disconnected and entirely separated from the carburetor when the hood is raised to the open position.

5. In an automotive vehicle of the type including an internal-combustion engine having a carburetor provided with an air inlet and a raisable hood normally covering said engine, the improvement comprising a layer of air-filtering material covering a substantial area of the undersurface of said hood and having its undersurface exposed to incoming air and spaced centrally from the hood to define an air chamber therebetween, an imperforate wall attached to and closing the peripheral edge of the filter layer to incoming air so that said air is required to enter the layer through the bottom thereof, an imperforate collar in said filter layer defining an opening through which air passes downwardly from said chamber, and a flexible conduit depending from said collar arranged with its lower end positioned to register with the air inlet and to seat against the carburetor when the hood is in lowered position.

6. In an automotive vehicle of the type including an internal-combustion engine having a carburetor provided with an air inlet and a raisable hood normally covering said engine, the improvement comprising a layer of airfiltering material covering a substantial area of the undersurface of said hood and having its undersurface exposed to incoming air and spaced centrally from the hood to define an air chamber therebetween, an imperforate wall attached to and closing the peripheral edge of the filter layer to incoming air so that said air is required to enter the layer through the bottom thereof, and a flexible and resilient conduit extending downwardly from said chamber arranged with its lower end positioned to register with the air inlet and to seat against the carburetor when the hood is in lowered position.

7. In an automotive vehicle of the type including an internal-combustion engine having a carburetor provided with an air inlet and a raisable hood normally covering said engine, the improvement comprising a layer of airfiltering material covering a substantial area of the undersurface of said hood, the undersurface of said material being exposed to incoming air and the top surface thereof being spaced centrally from the hood to define an air chamber therebetween, an imperforate wall attached to and closing the peripheral edge of the filter layer to incoming air so that said air is required to enter the layer through the bottom thereof, an imperforate collar in said filter layer defining an opening through which air passes downwardly from said chamber, and a flexible conduit depending from said collar arranged with its lower end positioned to register with the air inlet and to seat against the carburetor when the hood is in lowered position, said conduit being axially compressible, inherently resilient and of suficient length to engage the carburetor before the hood is fully lowered so as to be compressed axially by lowering of the hood to closed position, the inherent resiliency of said securely and permanently attached to said hood, said housing defining a cleaning chamber and said hood forming a part of the closure of said cleaning chamber, said filter having an air inlet to said cleaning chamber and a member providing an air outlet from said cleaning chamber, a carburetor having a member provided with an air inlet below the outlet of said filter chamber, a conduit extending between said filter member and said carburetor member establishing communication between the air outlet of said filter chamber and the air inlet of said carburetor, said conduit being connected to one of said members and disengageable from the other of said members, said conduit adapted to disengage said other member when the hood is raised and to engage therewith automatically when said hood is lowered, and means for guiding the disengageable end of said conduit into engagement with said other member as the hood is lowered.

9. In an automotive vehicle of the type having a hinged, raisable alligator engine hood and a carburetor having a member provided with an air inlet, an air filter on and fastened to the undersurface of the hood, said filter having a bottom opening defining an air inlet and a member defining a chamber adapted to receive air entering through said inlet and provided with an outlet through which air is discharged from said chamber, an air filtering member interposed between the inlet of said filter and of said chamber for removing impurities from the incoming air before the same enters the chamber, the undersurface of said member being exposed at the air inlet of the filter so that incoming air is required to move upwardly therethrough whereby solid particles in the incoming air are stopped by the undersurface of the member and will fall away from the filter member by gravity when the inrush of air is stopped, a conduit extending between said filter member and said carburetor member establishing communication between the air outlet and the air inlet of said members, said conduit being connected at one end to one of said members and disengageable from the other of said members automatically when said hood is raised, and means for automatically engaging the disengageable end of said conduit with said other member as the hood is lowered.

10. In an automotive vehicle of the type having a hinged, raisable alligator engine hood and a carburetor having a member provided with an air inlet, an air filter fastened to the undersurface of said hood having a bottom opening defining an air inlet and including a member having an air outlet, an air filtering means interposed between the inlet of said filter and the air outlet for removing impurities from the incoming air before the same is discharged through said outlet, the undersurface of said air filtering means being exposed at the air inlet of the filter so that incoming air is required to move upwardly therethrough whereby solid particles in the incoming air are stopped by the undersurface of said filter means and will fall away therefrom by gravity when the inrush of air is stopped, a conduit extending between said filter member and said carburetor member establishing communication between the air outlet and the air inlet of said members, said conduit being connected at one end to one of said members and disengageable from the other of said members automatically when said hood is raised, and means for automatically engaging the disengageable end 9 of said conduit with said other member as the hood is lowered.

11. In an automotive vehicle of the type having a hinged, raisable alligator hood and a carburetor having a member provided with an air inlet, a layer of air filtering material on the undersurface of said hood, said material having its undersurface exposed to incoming air and being spaced centrally from the hood to define an air chamber therebetween, an imperforate wall attached to and closing the peripheral edge of said filtering material to incoming air so that said air is required to enter the layer through the bottom thereof, a member in said filter layer defining an irnperforate passage through which filtered air is discharged from said filter, a conduit extending between said filter member and said carburetor member establishing communication between the air outlet and the air inlet of said members, said conduit being connected at 10 one end to one of said members and disengageable from the other of said members automatically when said hood is raised, and means for automatically engaging the disengageable end of said conduit with said other member as the hood is lowered.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,855,038 Walker Apr. 19, 1932 1,931,039 Steensen Oct. 17, 1933 2,033,731 Nallinger Mar. 10, 1936 2,262,467 Ormsby Nov. 11, 1941 2,570,506 Weatherhead Oct. 9, 1951 2,701,024 Thomas Feb. 1, 1955 2,705,540 Zierer Apr. 5, 1955 

